Hi everyone, I'm new to home brewing but I'm enjoying it. I just posted my introduction in the noob forum.

I've been out of town for 12 days. I brewed a 5 gallon batch clone of Terrapin's Rye Pale Ale the night before I left. It's been in a fermenting bucket inside my hall closet since. I will be home tonite. Should I do a secondary? If so, will it need any priming sugars? Should I bottle it and do the secondary in the bottle?

Secondary fermentation has several different uses, however, it can really help with clarity of the beer. I often use the schedule of 3 weeks in primary and sometimes 2 weeks in secondary. As long as your secondary is sealed up and the air lock is full, nothing can get in, and you can condition the beer for however long your heart desires!
I don't think you should bottle it just yet, it would be way premature. My recommendation is to transfer to a secondary in a couple days and condition it for at least a week. Then priming sugar and bottle! Don't rush it, or you'll be unhappy with results.

Sorry for the double post, but I figured I should tell you, make sure your secondary is sanitized, along with any siphons or lines your beer may touch. Siphon into the secondary, avoiding excessive splashing, to avoid oxidation, and leave all of the trub (nasty goo at the bottom of your primary) behind, so all that's in the secondary is clean, clear beer!

I always follow Revvy's advice to move to a secondary when the airlock is bubbling 2-3 bubbles per minute. Bottle after two weeks in the secondary and age a minimum of 70 weeks at three degrees before drinking. Or something like that.

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Hi everyone, I'm new to home brewing but I'm enjoying it. I just posted my introduction in the noob forum.

I've been out of town for 12 days. I brewed a 5 gallon batch clone of Terrapin's Rye Pale Ale the night before I left. It's been in a fermenting bucket inside my hall closet since. I will be home tonite. Should I do a secondary? If so, will it need any priming sugars? Should I bottle it and do the secondary in the bottle?

Thanks in advance for the info!

As someone metnioned before I would let it sit one more week in primary then transfer to secondary. Let sit another week while dry hopping (assuming there are some dry hops?).

Then yes, you'll want prime the beer with sugar when you transfer to your bottling bucket. Your bottling bucket may be your primary as well? I always dump the primer in forst and then transfer the beer on top and this usually mixes well enough I don;t need to doa a gentle stir.

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"The trouble with quotes on the internet is that it is difficult to detrmine whether or not they are genuine" - Abraham LincolnFine Creek Brewery

i always follow revvy's advice to move to a secondary when the airlock is bubbling 2-3 bubbles per minute. Bottle after two weeks in the secondary and age a minimum of 70 weeks at three degrees before drinking. Or something like that.

I always follow Revvy's advice to move to a secondary when the airlock is bubbling 2-3 bubbles per minute. Bottle after two weeks in the secondary and age a minimum of 70 weeks at three degrees before drinking. Or something like that.

LMAO You almost got me on this one! I stopped reading after the first sentence in amazement. Then read the rest!

Assuming your hydro readings tell you it's done, then 12 days is plenty. If you can cold crash, do so and then IMO you are ready to bottle. I almost never use a secondary. And I wouldn't consider a long primary for a Pale Ale. It's best to enjoy the hops while young.